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10 Essential Tips to Become Nurse Supporting Family Caregivers

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Becoming a nurse who supports caregivers is a calling for many healthcare professionals. It’s a job you have to do if it is aligned with your passion. Being a nurse already allows you to work in a job that you are passionate about. With ambulatory care nursing, you will be able to flex your schedule a lot more. This is a great benefit and avenue for nurses who are also moms or just want more flexibility.

Going into this career option without much knowledge of what it would be like can be daunting. It’s always best to get as much information as you can beforehand. Once you understand what the job would entail, you are a lot more prepared to deal with the everyday issues. Nursing is a lucrative career choice. Many nurses still work a full-time job and do this on the side for extra income. If you are considering this as a viable option for your career, these tips should help.

1. Patience

Working with a caregiver and the patient might challenge your patience. You have to remember that the caregiver is not a nurse. She is merely here to take care of the patient and probably doing the best with the knowledge she has. Instead of becoming impatient, you can try to teach the caregiver a few tricks. It will take some time for you two to become acquainted with each other.

2. Transfer skills

You are not always going to be available in the case of an emergency. Work on a list of transferable skills. You are not only educating the caregiver, but you are also looking out for the patient’s best interest. Being a nurse means that you are always taking care of others. You transferring some of your skills is simply part of your job. It is going to make it a lot easier for you going forward.

3. Documents

Make sure you have all of your qualification documents ready. The fact that you are a qualified nurse is going to get you hired quickly. You should be able to prove this to the family. Once you have been working for a while, you might not even know where all of your documents are stored. This might be a good time to find your documents.

4. Resume

You cannot simply walk into a room with your documents and expect to be hired. Make sure you have your resume ready as well. Put your bls certification on resume to give yourself a better chance. Look at this as applying for a nursing position at a prestigious hospital. It’s better to be over prepared.

5. Availability

If you are planning to do this on the side, you might find that you don’t have enough time to balance both worlds. You are going to have to work out a system in which you are available to the caregiver. In this instance, you are her helpline in case something happens. You also need to guide her if there is a new complication she has not be trained at yet.

6. Listen

The caregiver is not a qualified nurse most of the time. This does not mean that there is no information she can share with you. Work on being a good listener. The caregiver is with the patient the majority of the time and should be given a little credit for that. When there is a report back, pay attention to what is being said. It could be crucial.

7. Create a system

When you are working with more than 1 person, it is always advisable to put a system in place. A schedule of your visits, when you are available for a phone call and at what time meds need to be administered is all part of a winning system. This is going to eliminate a lot of issues going forward.

8. Cover letter

Your resume and documents are very impersonal and just a lot of facts on paper. A cover letter can give a bit more insight into who you are as a person. A mental health nurse cover letter would usually be a good way to put the patient and the family at ease.

9. Research

Find out what the patient’s health situation is. The go ahead and do some additional research on the condition. Sure, you are a qualified healthcare professional, but there is nothing wrong with being prepared for ant scenario. Its little things like this that will help you build a stronger bond with the caregiver, the patient and the family.

10. Relax

You are qualified for this position and there are no two ways about it. Don’t allow the process of applying stress you out. With all of the experience and knowledge you have, don’t let this job create any doubt in your mind. You are capable and qualified to do a stellar job.

Final thoughts on becoming a nurse supporting family caregivers

Considering this avenue in your career is a great opportunity for you to help those in need. When a job comes from a place of passion, it is always going to benefit all parties. You can do this and it is a selfless job. Rewards come in the form of seeing the joy on your patients’ faces.

-Bobby Evans

Bobby Evans is a guest post writer and he works as a content writer. He specializes on nursing professional BLS certification on resume for ambulatory care nursing. Writing is not only his job but also his passion. His hobby is reading and traveling. His life motto is “Try to do your best and never give up!”.

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Caregiving

Incapacity Happens

by Barbara Bates Sedoric
written by Barbara Bates Sedoric

What does Dad want? Have you asked? How about Mom? Does anyone know what her wishes are? Has anyone asked her? And is anyone really listening to what they are saying? Incapacity Happens

Life can turn on a dime. Incapacity happens. Wouldn’t it be better to take some time now to get prepared? There is no time like the present to ask questions and get some answers. It’s never too late until it really is too late!

Engaging in conversations about what to do in the event of incapacity or death and formulating a plan ahead of any crisis situation is a winning combination. Talking about the “what if’s” now will help diffuse and negate the possibility of a terrible outcome during a difficult situation.

In case you have been busy and not taken time to be up with the news, there’s a movement afoot. It will change the current absence of meaningful and necessary conversations. End-of-life conversations will soon become an integral part of exchanges between doctors, patients, caregivers and family members when it matters most. Why the changing tide? Medicare will reimburse physicians for their time spent having these important discussions with their patients and family members. One’s end-of-life wishes will soon become an integral part of the conversation when you visit your doctor for an annual check-up or if you end up in a hospital in a crisis situation.

There will be no more excuses for ignoring the pleas from patients and families to be “heard” when end-of-life decisions are first and foremost on their minds. We’ve all heard stories about family conflicts and family tragedies – so isn’t it better to have these conversations well in advance of a crisis?

The ending of Bobby Kristina Brown’s life exemplifies a worst-case scenario – the losing combination of a lack of prior conversations, the lack of any clear planning, the added complications of a blended family, and no person “in charge” of handling the life-changing event.

Time is often of the essence. Asking Mom and Dad to communicate their wishes is a priceless gift to you. Telling them your wishes is your gift to them too! Bobby Kristina Brown’s situation reminds us that these kinds of events can and do happen at any age.

Think about it. Talk to your parents, your spouse, your physician, and your adult children and make some of these difficult decisions now. Knowing your loved ones wishes and expressing you own will help alleviate the fear and the chaos of “what to do” when incapacity or death happens.

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Caregiving

Aging Parents: Plan for All Seasons

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Plan now for where your elders will live as they age. Get their vision for what they want to happen if they need care or accommodations for an illness. Having a plan is the key. It reduces the stress, eases the frustration and makes caregiving easier for all involved. I’ve boiled it down to 3 steps.

Do your elders want to live at their own home as long as they can? Do they have a vision for where they’ll want to be if the time comes when they need care? Does each family member have a role?

First – talk to your elders. Do they want to live in their current home as they age (called aging in place)? Do they want to move to a retirement community where there is a continuum of care (independent living to assisted living to nursing or memory care, if needed)? Do they want to move to be near you or one of your siblings? Do they already have a retirement residence where they want to move?

This first step is critical. Discussing these details with your elders puts everyone on the same page. It brings all the parties who will be a part of their care into the same discussion. You can better accommodate their vision if you know what it is.

Waiting until the first emergency is not a plan. The resulting panic will probably not result in a decision that looks like what it would have if you had developed a plan and executed it.

Second – Based on input from your elders, your siblings and/or other family members, work toward developing a plan that incorporates your elder’s wishes, takes your own needs into consideration and can be accomplished within the budget that your family has.

If they want to age in place, you can help your elders make necessary accommodations to their home or property. Do those things now, before an emergency would make those changes infeasible.

If assets need to be sold to build a budget for care, work on a plan to maximize revenues and minimize the hassle of having to sell immediately because they need the money.

If they want to live with you, near you or near one of your family members, start looking for the right residential fit. If it’s in your home, you can start making any necessary changes now – additions, retrofits for older folks, etc. If it is moving to a retirement or assisted living facility residence, check out what’s available and arrange for a tour. Whatever their choices are, develop a plan, move to the next steps and don’t wait.

If your elder already has a retirement residence, are there any accommodations that might need to be made as they age? If yes, decide when/how those can be cost-effectively made and set a timeline in place. It may not be needed now, but determine at what point the changes would need to be made and stay on track to make them if the need arises.

Third – Know that even the best plans change. Keep an open mind about what might happen if their health changes or they need more care than can be given where they planned to live. Make them aware that you will incorporate their wishes and their vision as much as you can.

Have a positive attitude about this journey. Know it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Laugh as much as you can. Giggle when you find something funny and share that giggle with your elder.

If you know what your elder wants, you can develop a plan that incorporates your needs as well, recognizing that life happens and things change. You will have gone a long way to ease your stress in the caregiving/caretaking role. Frustration arises most often when an emergency happens, no plan is in place and you find yourself in PANIC mode. Making decisions in the PANIC mode produces the MOST stress and the LEAST optimal solutions.

Get out your calendar and set a date with your elders. With the holidays coming up, now is the perfect time to talk to your elders with the whole family there.

Start the conversation.

By Suzanne Asaff Blankenship

Suzanne’s experience with eldercare came the hard way – by doing it. Suzanne has two decades of experience managing her mother’s care as well as sharing the care for her in-laws. After years of sharing stories and receiving requests for advice, Suzanne found she wasn’t alone in her eldercare journey, or in her search for solutions. With her unique approach of organized preparation sprinkled with her tongue-in-cheek humor, Suzanne guides others skillfully through the challenging experience of eldercare.

theeldercarenavigator.com

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Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
Caregiving

Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

One of the biggest challenges family caregivers have is handing over the caregiving reigns. Many times, they’re overwhelmed and have too much on their plate but handing over such an important role as caregiving can be upsetting. Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
That being said, sometimes it is in a family’s best interest to hand off caregiving tasks. Between managing household tasks in two homes and helping aging parents remain safe at home, the never-ending to do list can be too much for one person. While it can be expensive to hire an in-home caregiver, there are less expensive tasks you can outsource to simplify your life.

  1. Errands: Running to the post office, grocery store, pharmacy, etc. etc. etc. can be time consuming. Between the driving and the waiting in line, you can lose hours a week. There are errand services that allow you to outsource these tasks for a relatively low cost. You can also hire a high school or college student to run some of these simple errands. If you don’t have the money to pay someone, do you have a family member or friend who you can trade errands with? Perhaps they pick up your groceries one week and you do theirs the next week. Get creative to find ways to reduce your load. Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
  2. Meals: I have posted some tactics for eating healthy when you’re busy, but if meals are truly dragging you down, there are ways to outsource the task. Sign your parent up for Meals on Wheels to have one meal taken off their plate. You can also do meal trades with family or friends. Basically, you team up with a family and each cook one extra family meal per week (double your recipe) and share it with each other. You’ll each cook one less time per week. And finally, if you have room in your budget, you can purchase meal delivery programs or meal prep services. Some examples are Dream Dinners (you do the prep, freeze and cook later), Blue Apron, Plated or Hello Fresh (ingredients delivered for you to cook). These services can be pricey, but they’ll save you from grocery shopping and much of the time-consuming prep work is done for you.
  3. Grocery Shopping: Have you tried grocery delivery services? This is a great way to save at least an hour of time per week. You can shop online, set up your delivery time and have your groceries delivered to your door. I know many long-distance caregivers who do this for their elderly parents to ensure that they have food in their fridge. I personally have used Vons.com and Amazon Prime Now. They both charge a small delivery fee but in both cases, I have been extremely pleased with the quality of produce, which was always my concern about trying it out. You can even specify how you prefer your items. For example, I prefer to purchase green bananas because I get a lot of bananas and don’t want them to go bad before we can eat them. You can specify that.

If you have a larger budget, or siblings who can contribute financially, here are some other caregiving tasks that you can outsource. Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency

  1. Paid Caregiver: Even if you intend to be the main source of care for your aging parent, you can hire someone to come in to assist with some of the more challenging caregiving tasks or to provide respite care. Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
  2. House Cleaning Service: Whether you hire a service for your home or your parent’s home, getting help with cleaning will take a huge load off your shoulders.
  3. Transportation Provider: Unfortunately, in some cities, there aren’t a lot of safe, reliable transportation services available for seniors, but if you happen to live in a community where there is a good transportation service, consider enlisting them for some of your parent’s social outings. Social isolation can lead to depression, so while this may be low on your already packed to do list, it is important to your parent’s well-being.
  4. Companionship: As I stated, social isolation can lead to depression or an increase in health concerns. If your parent is alone for most of the week, consider hiring a senior companion – there are some individuals and services that specialize in being a companion to seniors – or enrolling your parent in an adult day care or activities at their local senior center.

You may not be able to hire all of the services, but even adding just one or two to your life can give you a bit of time to take better care of yourself or practice self-care.
Juggling Caregiving in the Sandwich Generation

Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency

Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency Delegate Caregiving Tasks to Save Time, Maximize Your Efficiency
 
 
 
 

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Exercise & FitnessHealth

5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

According to the CDC, in America, 25% of Americans 65 years of age or older fall each year. If you experience a fall, much like a concussion, you are much more likely to experience a fall in the next 6 months. With over 2.8 million injuries due to falls treated in emergency departments every year, it is clear that this is a concern for every single one of us as we age. 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors
These falls, whether you are injured or not, can impact you in other ways. It can start to deteriorate your quality of life. First, the fear of falling starts to limit your engagement in social activities and day to day duties. Then it can start to hinder your confidence in doing basic things outside or in your living quarters.
With reduced activity comes greater physical decline, isolation, and a potential to worsen a slew of other health issues.
So what are you to do?
Maintain and improve functional independence at all costs.
There are habits, lifestyle changes, preventative and proactive measures that everyone could be taking. Although this applies to all ages, it becomes even more important the older you get.
Weightlifting is one activity that is invaluable. It improves your health, helps reduce fall risk factors, and improve functional independence. Often, lifting is not something that many people believe is a good fit for older adults and seniors. This is a common misconception even though countless studies have proven otherwise. It is not only safe but it is also effective.
Weightlifting helps by improving 5 specific aspects allowing seniors to keep living their best life.

Better Balance For a Better You

The characteristic of “balance” consists of two different types. The first is static balancing, the ability to maintain balance while not moving. The second is dynamic balancing, the ability to maintain one’s position while on the go. Both of these aspects of balance are important to be safe when doing everyday activities with confidence.
Weightlifting is able to make improvements in both the static and dynamic balance. Allowing you to move with greater ease and confidence.

Staying In Control With Enhanced Movement Control

Neuromuscular functioning and proprioception play a key role in functional independence. These two fancy terms are what allows your body to move in a coordinated fashion. Also they are responsible for your brain to know exactly where your limbs are and the effort being exerted throughout your body.
Unfortunately, these both begin to deteriorate with lack of use and age. Making moving about on your own a greater risk.
Weightlifting comes to save the day again by improving age-related declines in neuromuscular functioning. These improvements are demonstrated through greater movement control, balance, functional capacity, and proper movement.
How much training do you need to do to get these benefits? You can go all out with high volume training if you wish. Or you can keep it light with low volume. Both options provide these same benefits.
This doesn’t mean you should wait to include this into your lifestyle when issues arise. Why?
Well, because those who have been lifting as a part of their lives were actually protected from any loss in movement control as they aged. The sooner you get to lifting, the better.

Staying Limber With Greater Mobility & Flexibility

Being able to move with ease is something many of us take for granted. Over time, it can become difficult to bend over or reach for items on high shelves. As this occurs, it becomes harder to be fully engaged in your life and do some of the more simplest tasks.
For some of the seniors in my own life, bending over, reaching on high shelves, and the likes are unfortunately no longer safe options. When picking up something you dropped becomes rather difficult and even a fall risk, your functional independence is inhibited.
Through weightlifting, studies have shown that you are actually able to improve the flexibility in every single joint in the body. This means every single type of movement that you can do becomes easier with multi-joint movements becoming exponentially easier. In fact, hitting the weights more frequently actually makes leaning forward even easier.

Staying Active with Improved Functional Capabilities

You have seen how all these technical aspects of functional independence are improved by weightlifting but how will this combine to benefit you?
When it comes to walking, seniors saw their step length and step speed increase. On top of that, they were able to recover their balance when taking a single step from anywhere from fifteen to thirty percent. So when on the move, if there is a slight hiccup going from one step to another you will be more likely to recover than enduring a scary fall.
Other tasks that happen day in and day out can prove to be difficult as well. Whatever it may be, weightlifting seems to improve by making the task itself easier and reducing the amount of time it takes to do them. This can be everything from climbing stairs, rising from a chair, and going from standing to sitting. Essentially any other movements that require a level of strength and muscular control.

Reducing Risk Factors For Falls and Fear of Falling

If you are able to maintain balance, have greater movement control, improved mobility and flexibility, while being more functionally capable, you are going to experience less falls. It is just that simple.
What isn’t simple is the emotion around falls. Specifically, fear. Knowing how dangerous a fall can be can bring about a great deal of fear. Especially if you have endured a fall before. This fear can be a somewhat paralyzing one that holds you back from going about your life in a confidently.
Thankfully, as the ability to move with greater ease, speed, and strength improves, the fear has been shown to slowly dissipate. Allowing for greater peace of mind and confidence to carry on your day.

Staying Functionally Independent With Weightlifting

When you add it all up, the science is clear. By integrating weightlifting into your lifestyle not only will you prevent any further declines in your functional capabilities but you will also improve them. The more physically capable you are as you age the more active you are able to be and the more engaged life you can lead.

_______
By Nicholas Rizzo
With a passion for everything health and fitness, Nick uses his writing as an opportunity to help others lead a happier, healthier, and more active life. Having watched loved ones struggle through the aging process has motivated him to do what he can to help others take action today to avoid countless struggles later in life. He currently is the lead training, health, and wellness researcher and writer for RunRepeat.Com.

5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors

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Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care
Caregiving

Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care

by Kendall VanBlarcom
written by Kendall VanBlarcom

If you are an older adult, or caring for an aging senior, the topic of home instead of senior care has likely come up. But, you don’t have to move to an assisted living facility to get the care needed. There are ways to get help with personal issues, meals, and medication while still living at home. Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care

69% of people age 90 or more have a disability, according to government estimates. With numbers like these, it is clear support is needed. Reach out to get the care you need to stay in your home as long as possible.

Home Instead of Senior Care

Make a plan to stay in your home while recognizing that your needs will likely change over time. Get the support you need today. Then, put the right steps in place for future decisions. Bring trusted loved ones and family members into the planning process. Often, it’s helpful to talk to a counselor who is experienced in senior issues, too. They will have a background of knowledge to help you.

Needing Home Support

If you are providing support for your loved one in their senior years, know that there are ways to maximize the experience, both for you and the older adult in your care.
Some concerns include the following:
Safety – Older adults are at a higher risk of being targeted for financial scams. Block their names from telemarketer lists. Secure the home at vulnerable entry points. Some find it is helpful to have an emergency alert system in place as well.
Meals – If you are concerned that, as you age, you are relying on more prepackaged or other unhealthy meals, or if you have a senior you love you are worried is making unhealthy food choices, put a system in place. Look into local community centers to find out if they are serving up healthy meals. Or start scheduling potluck dinners, for example.
Household chores – It is a familiar problem for individuals who move less, due to aging or mobility issues, to need help with housework, their yards, and shopping. Maybe hiring a cleaning service or scheduling regular grocery deliveries would help. Anything to reduce the stress experienced by a senior who is choosing their home instead of senior care should be looked into.

Other Common Needs of Support

Exploring transportation options – While remaining active is important for health, it is not always possible for individuals who are experiencing pain, mobility issues, or health concerns. Transportation options have to be in place for seniors. They also need to be able to secure doctor’s appointments and maintain the ability to purchase daily necessities, such as groceries and medications.
Activities and friends – Human beings are social animals. There is no reason to feel isolated and alone while living at home instead of senior care. Look into new ways to interact with others. Explore local senior center options or find volunteers, from family members to individuals in the community.
Talking through all of these issues, and more, with a counselor can bring relief. Reach out today.
Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care
Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care Choosing Your Home Instead of Senior Care

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Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management
AgingHome & Family

Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

A question that has come up a few times is, “how do you know if you need to manage your parents’ finances?” It’s a difficult topic. Finances are usually private, even among family members. And sometimes, we think we know what’s best for our aging loved one but our bias or intention may not be as pure as we think. Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management
I’ve had people tell me that they want to step in to handle their parent’s finances because their parent is spending too freely or not being as cautious as they would like with their spending. While you may not like how your loved one is spending money, it isn’t up to you to decide what he or she does with their money unless you are certain that they’re not able to manage on their own.
So, how do you know if it is time to step in?

Stepping In To Help Aging Parents With Finances

Not everyone will need help with their finances. In fact, many people will be able to manage their finances on their own until their last days. That being said, it is a good idea to have the discussion about finances, and even moving forward to handle the legal issuessurrounding caregiving, regardless of how healthy and capable your aging parent is. It will make things easier if they ever fall ill or get to a point where they can’t handle their finances.
Here are some common situations that come up that may make an adult child question their aging parent’s ability to manage their finances and whether they are valid reasons to step in.
Situation 1: Your mom has been purchasing expensive items for family members and/or close friends.
Is this a sign that she can’t manage her finances? Well, it depends on why she is gifting and how frequently she is doing it. If your mom has always been on a tight budget and has recently decided that she wants to make her loved ones happy while she’s around, there’s no reason to be concerned, so long as she can afford to do so. It also isn’t concerning if she has the means to do so and is paying her bills/managing her finances. You should be concerned if someone is coercing her into giftinglarge sums of money or if she is gifting money or items but can’t afford to do so.
Situation 2: Your mom is suddenly taking trips, visiting friends or making large purchases she didn’t make in the past.
Is this something to be concerned about? Well, no…unless she is going through all of her money in the process. If your mom is suddenly spending money more freely in the past, she may finally be comfortable that she has enough money to enjoy life a bit more. So long as she is able to support herself and manage her expenses in the future (meaning she’s not burning through everything now), it really isn’t your concern. While it may be frustrating because you may have been counting on an inheritance in the future, it is your mother’s money to spend.
Situation 3: Your mom has a new friend or boyfriend and she is thinking about adding that person to her will.
Is this something to be concerned about? Maybe. Does it seem like the person is coercing your mom into adding her to her will? Is your mom doing things with her money that are completely out of character. Of course, if your mom is lucky enough to make a good friend or meet a wonderful partner later in life, that should be celebrated. I would suggest speaking to your mother about holding offon making any long-term changes until the relationship is more established.
Situation 4: Your dad has piles of unopened mail stacking up and seems overwhelmed managing his budget.
Is this something to be concerned about? Yes. Your dad is likely struggling with the task of managing his finances. He may be embarrassed that he isn’t able to manage his own finances so broach the topic gently.
Before you try to step in to manage your parents’ finances, you need to think about whether you are doing it for the right reasons. Just because your parent isn’t spending his/her money how you think is right, doesn’t make it wrong.

Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management

Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management Recognize Signs Your Aging Parent Is Struggling With Money Management

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Seniors Regaining Independence Where They Need It Most
Home ImprovementsSafety & Fall Prevention

Seniors Regaining Independence Where They Need It Most

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

On average, people use the toilet at least 6 times a day. It is one of the most basic activities in life and is also one of the most common reasons for seniors to start losing their independence. As we age, cognitive and balance issues can make going to the bathroom difficult and in some cases, even dangerous. Seniors all over the world are now turning to the bidet for help. Seniors Regaining Independence Where They Need It Most

What is a bidet?

Bidets have long been known as a hands-free way to wash sensitive areas with a stream of water. When using a bidet, there is no need to bend or twist your body to wipe. The bidet’s cleansing stream of water will do all the cleanup with little to no need to dry yourself.

Improves cleanliness

Seniors often experience a lack of proper cleanliness due to an inability to wipe after using the toilet. Bidets offer a cleansing spray of water for cleanup, only needing a small pat to dry off. Some bidets will even include dryers that can eliminate the need for drying yourself altogether.

Brings independence in the bathroom

We spend most of our lives experiencing a bathroom trip alone. When we age, a solo bathroom trip can become challenging and, in some situations, dangerous. Bidets eliminate the need to wipe which can result in a senior being able to take bathroom trips alone once again. For many seniors, this is a huge help towards keeping their independence.

Easy to install

Bidet installation has become increasingly easy over the years and has resulted in customers not needing to call a plumber or electrician for help. The installation process can be done by hand and be completed in under an hour to modify your ordinary toilet with comforting bidet features.

Improves the quality of life

Take back your independence and clean in comfort with the new standard in bathroom hygiene. Bidets can provide the ability to enter the bathroom alone with safety and confidence. For many seniors, a bidet improves their quality of life with just one use.
Click Here to see our huge selection of bidet products on Senior.com.

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10 Steps to Help Older Adults Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls
Fall Prevention TipsSafety & Fall Prevention

Home Automation for Fall Prevention Awareness Day

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Ready, Steady, Balance: Home Automation for Fall Prevention Awareness Day

September 22 marks the first day of fall, and many people are no doubt looking forward to the cooler weather, the changing leaves and the holiday season just around the corner. But it’s also a day to recognize another, far more serious kind of fall. Home Automation for Fall Prevention Awareness Day
The eleventh annual Fall Prevention Awareness Day is an effort to address the serious issue of fall-related injuries among aging adults, and this year’s theme – “Ready, Steady, Balance: Prevent Falls in 2016” – seeks to make seniors and their caregivers more prepared, more aware and more proactive when it comes to one of the most significant threats to senior health. Fortunately, the sudden explosion in smart technology and home automation has given us a whole constellation of new tools and methods for helping seniors safely and gracefully age in place for as long as possible.

Remote Monitoring

One third of Americans over the age of 65 fall each year. Remote monitoring helps to address this statistic in several ways. The ability to access security cameras from any mobile device means that you can keep an eye on your loved one no matter where you are. You no longer need to worry about something happening when you aren’t physically present because you can quickly check in at any time. Remote monitoring also means that, should a serious accident happen, a senior alone at home will be able to call for help more quickly than ever before.

Smarter Lighting

As people age, the retinas in their eyes receive less light and their vision takes longer to adjust to sudden changes in brightness. It’s no wonder, then, that poor or improper lighting is a major contributor to falls and injuries among the elderly. One solution to this problem lies in smart lighting, which can automatically turn individual lights on and off based on movement and control home lighting on a pre-set schedule. Some modern tunable LED lights can even be programmed to adjust the color temperature, producing lighting that is warmer or cooler depending on the person’s needs. Even better, smart, efficient lighting allows for the high-illumination light that works best for seniors without leading to much increase in energy costs.

Emergency Alert Systems

While preventing a fall from occurring in the first place is always the primary goal, it simply isn’t possible to prevent every accident. When a senior falls, a quick response can often mean the difference between a minor incident and a traumatic, potentially life-threatening event. The famous television ads – “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” – may have spawned many parodies over the years, but the reality is that these alarm systems can and do save lives every day. By placing emergency help just a simple button-press away, these medical alert devices serve as a lifeline and an added layer of protection for seniors who wish to age at home and remain as independent as possible.
Aging in place has long been a goal for most seniors, but the dangers and impracticalities put it out of reach for many people. That’s beginning to change, as technological advances have made it far easier and safer for seniors to live healthy, independent lives well into their golden years. Even those who struggle with disabilities or other health complications have found a helping hand in today’s smarter, more automated homes.

-By Maricel Tabalba

Home Automation for Fall Prevention Awareness Day

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